Three county commissioners coast, but four draw challengers

Three county commissioners coast, but four draw challengers

The deadline to qualify for any one of the seven Miami-Dade County Commission seats up for election this year ended at noon Tuesday and three commissioners can breath a sigh of relief. Bruno Barreiro, Esteban “Steve” Bovo Jr. and Barbara Jordan are automatically re-elected because nobody dared to run against them. The three Bs — Barbara, Bruno […]

County commission says adios to local Cuban consulate

County commission says adios to local Cuban consulate

Hey, President Obama: We don’t want your stinkin’ Cuban consulate here. Okay? Let the spies go to Tampa or Key West. That’s what Miami-Dade Commissioners told the leader of the free world last week when they voted to approve a resolution that urges the federal government to seek another location for a consular office to […]

County moves special taxing district funds to cities’ control

County moves special taxing district funds to cities’ control

As part of the effort to right the ship with the special taxing districts that were getting charged too much or too little, county commissioners will consider on Wednesday a move to put the control of those neighborhoods — and their special taxing monies — in the hands of municipalities.  Not only will cities and […]

A tale of two Uber laws — and the main differences

A tale of two Uber laws — and the main differences

Two competing ordinances to finally regulate “ride sharing” services or “TNEs” like Uber and Lyft will likely dominate the already full-agenda Miami-Dade County commission meeting Wednesday. We know taxi cab drivers are already a staple in commission chambers whenever this comes up (and sometimes when it doesn’t). And now, Uber has rallied riders to flood […]

Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s Uber draft ‘not ready for primetime’

Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s Uber draft ‘not ready for primetime’

The much ballyhooed ghost legislation that Mayor Carlos Gimenez had his staff write to legalize Uber and Lyft is not going anywhere. Not anytime soon, anyway. But it’s not because Commission Chairman Jean Monestime has been stalling, like Gimenez and his people have been saying on TV and radio shows for the past couple of […]

County commissioners raise close to $1 mil between them

County commissioners raise close to $1 mil between them

Miami-Dade County Commissioners have raised close to $1 million between them so far for next November’selection, according to the latest campaign reports filed this week. The fat cat among los gatos locos at the 111 building is Audrey Edmonson, who has raised $320,000 since starting in March. It includes $16,500 raised in October, even though […]

Double standard: Miami-Dade lets Lyft, Uber run over rules

Double standard: Miami-Dade lets Lyft, Uber run over rules

Uber, the popular app-driven black car service that has been a controversial addition to the traffic landscape in Miami-Dade, has been booted from Broward County as of last week. And Uber drivers are getting citations in Key West — where at least one driver was arrested for driving without a license. And where do you […]

Stevie Bovo talks tough on transit, floats bed tax for projects

Stevie Bovo talks tough on transit, floats bed tax for projects

It was buried in a longish speech about how the new transit and mobility services committee can identify new sources of revenue to pay for the needed transit issues that they are finally paying attention to, but somewhere between Commissioner Esteban “Stevie” Bovo going to Tallahassee to see if MDX funds can be applied to […]

New Miami-Dade chairman pitches anti-poverty program

New Miami-Dade chairman pitches anti-poverty program

From the what-a-difference-a-day-makes category: Freshly minted Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Jean Monestime took his oath of office Friday, and immediately pledged to use his position to defend the county’s neediest residents — who, by the way, live in his district — with a “Chairman’s Council of Prosperity Initiatives” he said he hopes will bring more people […]

Commission chair installation could draw political big wigs

Commission chair installation could draw political big wigs

The historic installation Friday of Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monestime, the first Haitian American to hold the chairman’s position, is likely to draw a lot more local politicians than these ceremonies normally do anyway. Miami Herald reporter Doug Hanks tweeted late Thursday that even Gov. Rick Scott and Sen. Marco Rubio might be in attendance. I […]